02/14/2024

Ohio House Approves $250 Million for Local Jail Construction, Renovations

The bill now heads to the Ohio Senate

State lawmakers want to earmark $250 million for local jail construction and renovations — an idea that county officials applaud.

If approved, it'll be a massive surge in state money for local governments. Currently, there are 89 full-service jails across Ohio operated by county sheriffs and local police departments.

County jails need to increase mental health and drug addiction treatment capacity, add beds for incarcerated women and improve safety, according to the County Commissioners Association of Ohio. The association estimates that $2.2 billion is needed to pay for all the needed jail construction work.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Columbus Dispatch.